


Study of Cat Videos

by lunarshores (damichan)



Series: family ties are made from circuits and webbing [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Family Feels, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Gen, Parent Tony Stark, Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Precious Peter Parker, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark is Good With Kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-08-07 05:06:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16401863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/damichan/pseuds/lunarshores
Summary: In which Peter babbles, Friday figures out the point of cat videos, and Tony gets a hug.





	Study of Cat Videos

**Author's Note:**

> hi, long time no see! just a quick little thing with MCU Peter to get back into the swing of writing again.

“Friday, isn’t the kid supposed to be here by now?” Tony sighed and swiped to the side of the hologram he was working on, sending it spinning away. “The traffic couldn’t have been that bad.”

“Mr. Parker arrived 20 minutes ago, boss.” Tony sat up and glanced around the lab. It wouldn’t be the first time he hadn’t noticed someone intruding, but he thought the kid would at least set off his radar. Besides there’s no way Peter could be quiet enough Tony totally missed his presence, right? Fortunately, there weren’t any suspiciously silent teenagers hovering in a corner awkwardly waiting for him to notice them while he blithely worked. Tension slid out of him and he gestured around the room and gave Friday’s nearest camera a  _ what gives? _ look. 

“It’s his first time in the Tower since it was reopened, boss.” Somehow his baby girl sounded downright amused. “He’s... very excitable. Mr. Hogan took him on a tour.” Tony’s lips twitched as Friday popped up a screen, and he watched the highlights she put together of  a very grumpy Happy taking Peter, who was visibly vibrating with excitement, bouncing, and never once stopped talking.

“I suppose I ordered him to do that?”

“He did mention that to Peter, yes. I, however, heard no such request made.” Tony let himself grin as Happy shoved Peter into the private elevator in real time with and asked for Friday to take him to Tony’s lab. Peter’s eyes widened comically, and Friday shut the doors with her usual perfect timing.  

“Hey, boss?” Friday asked, and Tony looked up from the footage, where Peter was pacing and talking to himself, complete with hand gestures.

“Yeah, Fri?”

“Did... There are a number of similarities between you and Peter.”

“C’mon, baby girl, no need to be rude to the Spiderling.”

She straight up scoffed at him, and Tony couldn’t help but grin in pride. “Ignoring that ridiculousness... Does that mean you did the babbling thing too when you were his age?”

Tony blinked. “Hell, Fri, I still do that.”

“Not like he does,” she said warmly, and Tony smiled. 

“Heh, yeah... you’d have to ask Rhodey for details, but yeah.”

There was silence while she thought that over, and Tony waited patiently, wondering what his creation was up to. Jarvis, Friday, even the bots... they never failed to surprise him in the best possible ways. “I think I think it’s cute.” Tony’s eyebrows flew up, and he laughed, gesturing for Friday to clear the glass so he could see out of the lab.  “Do you?”

“Yeah, yeah, constant foot-in-mouth disorder is adorable,” Tony said sarcastically. “And I think he’s glacially slow for someone with superpowers.” Just on cue, the elevator opened.

Tony watched as Peter edged out into the lobby outside the lab, eyes darting around, shifting his weight from foot to foot without crossing to the lab. He was clutching the straps of his backpack tightly, and Tony stood up and headed to the doors, which slid obligingly out of the way.

“You going to come in anytime soon?”

Peter jumped like a foot in the air “Mr. Stark!”

“Jesus kid, breathe.”

“Mr. Stark! Happy came and got me from school and said you needed to see me, and I have the suit, and was going to come straight down to help, but then it was  _ Stark Tower _ , and there were so many cool things, and Ms. Potts is terrifying, and says hi and to stop kidnapping me, but I told her Mr. Stark I promise, that I was just here to help you with a mission, because I totally forgot she didn’t know---She just seems like someone who  _ knows everything _ \---and I swear I didn’t mean---”

Tony held up a hand, and Peter cut off. “There is no mission, Peter. And also, don’t you have to  _ breathe _ ? Is that like one of your superpowers or something?”

Peter rubbed the back of his head, ruffling his already mussed hair, grinning sheepishly. “Sorry, Mr. Stark. I was just excited.”

He still hadn’t moved, so Tony crossed over to him, and draped an arm around his shoulders to gently steer Peter towards the doors. “And yes, Pepper is terrifying. I didn’t tell her, but don’t worry, your secret is in good hands with her.” Peter smiled at him, and Tony coughed. “Now with yourself... that’s another story. That’s what---three people you’ve told in a month?”

Peter made an outraged squawk and buried his head in his hands, and Tony wrangled him the rest of the way into the lab. “Mr. Stark...” Peter looked up, and his eyes widened. He stopped immediately looking around at the gleaming counters and various machines. His gazed passed over the wall of Iron Man suits---which rude!--- and caught on Tony’s main table. 

Tony looked away at the open awe in his eyes, shifting uncomfortably. “Wow, a way to make you speechless.” Peter was still frozen, and Tony nudged him. 

“Breathe kid.” His watch buzzed once, and Tony looked inquiringly at the nearest camera.

“I do think he’s cute,” Friday said. 

“Miss Friday!”

Tony couldn’t help it at the outraged look on Peter’s face---he laughed. And maybe he hadn’t had enough sleep, so he could blame his response on that (not that he ever slept enough), but he just couldn’t  _ stop _ . When he’d almost pulled himself together, he caught sight of Peter honest-to-god pouting at him, and it just set him off again.

“Mr. Stark!” 

“It’s Tony, kid.” He ruffled Peter’s hair, causing him to duck away and cross his arms. “You should be honored, Spider-kid. She’s been trying to learn about cuteness all week. If I had to explain one more kitten video...”

“My analysis shows they are all essentially the same thing! It makes no sense on the surface,” Friday reported, and Peter melted into a smile. 

“And you think I’m cute?” Peter asked, his eyes lighting up with a familiar curiosity.

“Yes. People are programmed to like small things with big eyes. So they think kittens are cute when they do juvenile things. I am programmed to like boss, and you are very similar to boss and do juvenile things. So I think you’re adorable.”

Jesus, as impressed as he was with her right now, Friday was trying to kill him with embarrassment. Luckily, the kid was in the same boat. After collectively choking and a couple awkward glances, Tony decided pretending that had never happened was the best course of events. You had to learn something from your AI playing 10,000 cat videos and asking questions.

“Right, shall we get started?”

“Started with what, Mr. Stark? You never said in your text, and Happy just told me to come down here.” Peter frowned... “If there’s no mission...”

“You  _ are _ an intern right?” Peter’s eyes widened, and Tony ruthlessly shoved down the guilt from the whole Vulture incident. He could wallow later, but Peter had to come first while he was here. He wouldn’t be his father. Not that he was Peter’s father, he just... he needed to teach his intern things. Yeah.

“It’s about time you got to your duties. I thought we’d look at the repulsors first, and then you can help me tweak your new web formula. It’s not wanting to behave.” When Peter was silent, Tony shifted away. “Or we don’t have to, you know, just thought you might---”

Peter flung himself at him and wrapped his arms around Tony. Tony stiffened, then forced himself to relax. He brought an arm up and ruffled Peter’s hair again, but this time he just got a grin as Peter skipped back, grinning. 

“This is the coolest thing to ever happen, Mr. Stark. Even cooler than when you showed up at my apartment” Peter said, then looked resigned. “But I’m  _ never _ telling Ned Friday thinks I’m cute.”

“Good luck with that, kid. And it’s Tony.  _ Still _ .” 

 


End file.
